Communication has Changed

Leaders used to communicate through press releases crafted by the PR agencies. Today only direct communication can raise the profile of the corporate brand and communicate its mission and values.

Leaders used to communicate through press releases that had been crafted by their PR agencies. The leaders just had to lip-sync when they were on camera. Even those films were carefully edited to remove any creases and fumbles. An overtly edited and scripted film does not generate awe. It is viewed with mistrust. A little fumble, a little flaw also reassures people that the communication is authentic and unscripted.

Such direct communication can raise the profile of the corporate brand and communicate the company’s mission and values. It gives a chance to drive deeper engagement with customers as well as employees. Communication today is shorter but more frequent.

Today we see evidence that communications is not only valued by management, it is vital, as witnessed by the growing rise of the Corporate Communications Officer (CCO) as a strategic management role.

In a global world, communication is also becoming more visual. It is quite like learning a new language. One has to practice it for a while before we get it right.